TheCity

Tag: series

  • The Sinner Review: Biel stands out in latest Netflix original

    The Sinner Review: Biel stands out in latest Netflix original

    The Sinner is about young mother Cora Tannetti (Jessica Biel), who one day on a family trip to the beach falls into a fit of rage and murders a seemingly innocent man right in front of her child.

    A group of men and women in their twenties are sitting, soaking up the beach atmosphere and playing music out loud.  Cora sits, eyes fixated on this one group of people.  The song changes and something snaps inside Cora.  She jumps on one of the men and stabs him repeatedly, while everyone around starts screaming and running for their lives.  Her husband drags her off, but not in time to save her from killing her victim.  Cora went from peeling a pear for her son with a knife one second, to stabbing the life out of a man the next, for no apparent reason.

    Before the murder scene, we are shown a glimpse into Cora’s what seems to be past life.  We know that she has experienced some sort of trauma previously … but that “some sort of trauma” is as much of a mystery to Cora as it is to us.

    After murdering the man on the beach, Cora confesses to it straight away and expresses remorse.  However, she is baffled as to why she did it.  All she knows is that she killed a man – reason unknown.

    First episode in, we’re left entangled in this huge mystery and wondering why?  However, I found that after episode one, it wasn’t enough to lure me in and continue on the discovery as to why.  Episode one doesn’t give away many details of the mystery, just that we know it is in fact an enigma; an enigma that didn’t appeal to me enough to follow it more.

    Luckily, I stuck with it, continued onto episode two and never looked back.

    Although episode one doesn’t give much away, as the series goes on, the plot thickens and finally you’ll have that burning desire to find out why Cora Tannetti became a murderer.

    A big component to the success of the Sinner is Harry Amborse (Bill Pullman), the detective who doesn’t believe a woman like Cora would kill without motive.  He is certain there is a back story and will endeavour to find out what it is, while everyone else hopes for a guilty verdict.

    Most crime drama series are the opposite of the Sinner and start off addictive and then halfway through, lose their appeal.  The Sinner may be a slow burner but the end completely justifies its slow pace and at times, bleakness.  At the beginning of the series, it was impossible to predict where it was going to go. “She confessed, how is there going to be another seven episodes?” I wondered.  However, it really blossoms as each episode passes.

    The Sinner is unique in the sense that it has been dubbed a mystery and crime drama. However, the murder and the solving of the mystery is not the essence of the show.  Instead, the characters and how they are coping post-murder are what bring the mystery to life.  As a true crime/mystery genre lover, I can say with confidence that the answer or conclusion to a mystery is what usually draws me in.  It’s what keeps me enticed.  In the case of the Sinner, I was enjoying learning about Cora’s life and how her husband dealt with everything; without yearning for the answer.  Of course, the possibility of an answer also keeps the interest, but I was able to enjoy each episode without demanding it.  Some crime dramas tend to make episodes before the reveal tedious and all you want is the answer.  The Sinner is not guilty of this crime.

    I would highly recommend The Sinner to anyone who enjoys crime drama but who doesn’t mind the focus being on the drama, not the crime.  The crime is not important in The Sinner.  We know who did it, where it took place, when … we just need to know the why.  I’d also recommend it for people whose favourite genres venture outside of crime/mystery; as long as you love a good drama!

    **** 4/5 stars

    By Jenna Cox

     

  • Reilly ready for second test in Hurling/Shinty International Series

    Reilly ready for second test in Hurling/Shinty International Series

    Laois Goalkeeper Eoin Reilly in action during the All-Ireland Senior Championship. Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene/SPORTSFILE
    Laois Goalkeeper Eoin Reilly in action during the All-Ireland Senior Championship. Photo: Diarmuid Greene/SPORTSFILE

    Scotland shocked Ireland with a 3-14 to 2-8 win in the first test of the Senior Hurling/Shinty International Series this weekend. However, the Irish team have won the series for the past four years in a row and remain hopeful ahead of the second test. Goalkeeper Eoin Reilly talks to The City’s Áine Hennessy about this minority sport and what it involves.

    “I got involved in hurling/shinty when I was 19 years old back in 2009. I was selected as first-choice goalkeeper for the Irish U21 team ahead of three others from across the country,” he said.

    The Laois native is representing Ireland for his sixth year running in the International Series, a game which combines hurling with the traditional Scottish sport of shinty.

    The 24 year old, who is the current senior hurling goalkeeper for Laois, explains the basic rules of hurling/shinty.

    “The main difference between hurling and shinty is that you can’t catch or kick the ball. A player usually scores goals only, but the International Series uses a scoring system consisting of both goals and points.

    “We use hurls and the Scottish boys use shinty sticks. Their game is very skillful on the ground, whereas hurling is more skillful with high balls,” he said.

    The International Series is played on a home and away basis. The Irish team travelled to Scotland on Friday October 17, where they had a training session that day, followed by the game in Bught Park in Inverness on Saturday October 18 which was aired live on TG4.

    Eoin said that it was a great honour to play for his country, and is hopeful that Ireland will win their home game in Newry on October 25.

    “We have a strong team this year and all the lads are very skillful. The Scottish boys take it very seriously too. We’ve won it (the International Series) the past four years in a row but it has always been very close.

    Shinty sticks pictured on the sidelines. Picture credit: Damien Eagers/SPORTSFILE
    Shinty sticks pictured on the sidelines. Photo: Damien Eagers/SPORTSFILE

    “It’s not often that you get to play for Ireland, so it’s a great honour. The series is a date in my calendar that I look forward to every year,” he added.

    The Hurling/Shinty International Series gets little publicity in comparison to the Australian Rules Series. Eoin says the reason for this is probably centred around a lack of funding.

    “Shinty is a minority sport in Scotland. It’s only played in the Highlands. Aussie Rules on the other hand is a professional sport in Australia, so the funding for it is incredible.

    “As well as that the Irish Aussie Rules team is made up of an All-Star selection. In hurling/shinty, the team is made up of players from the so-called weaker hurling counties. Only a few players would come from the likes of Cork, Clare, Kilkenny and Tipperary,” he said,

    Around 2,000 spectators attended the first test of last year’s series in Scotland, a big crowd for shinty supporters in Scotland, and up to 3,000 attended the second test in Croke Park before last year’s Aussie Rules game.

    This year’s return game will take place in Newry on October 25 and will also be shown live on TG4. It kicks off at 5pm.

  • A Swashbuckling Adventure

    A Swashbuckling Adventure

    After the cliff hanger ending of Assassin’s Creed III, where fans of the video game series were left to wonder if protagonist Desmond Miles was dead or alive, last week’s release of Assassin’s Creed IV was hotly anticipated.

    The sixth multi-console release in the series, Assassin’s Creed IV was developed by Canadian gaming company Ubisoft, and had great expectations to live up to; it does not disappoint.

    This is the first time the series has diverged from the line of important periods in history.  Having experienced the Crusades with Altaïr, the Renaissance and Ottoman Empire with Ezio and lastly the US Revolution with Connor, Assassin’s Creed IV follows the story of Edward Kenway, an 18th century Welsh pirate operating in the Caribbean Sea.

    Edward is the grandfather of Connor, the protagonist from Assassin’s Creed III, and in this game we learn how Edward went about trying to make money in order to return to his family in Wales.

    Conor Kenway, the protagonist from Assassin's Creed III is the grandson of Captain Edward Kenway. Image by Rooster306 on flickr
    Conor Kenway, the protagonist from Assassin’s Creed III is the grandson of Captain Edward Kenway. Image by Rooster306 on flickr

    There are no major differences in gameplay between this game and its predecessor.  As expected, this game is heavily focused on maritime missions and travel in order to arrive at the main missions which usually occur on land.

    In the early stages, gameplay can prove to be almost tedious at times. Instead of enjoying the game, there is a feeling that you are playing just for the sake of it.  The story may appear to be fragmented and a little difficult to grasp also. However, one small bombshell later and this game completely changes.

    The graphics, as usual, are fantastic.  Every minor detail is accounted for, from rogue waves during a storm at sea to pods of dolphins breaching in the wake Edward’s ship, the Jackdaw, leaves behind it.

    The subplot is also extremely interesting.  Instead of following a modern day protagonist in a third person view, following Desmond’s demise, the player now actively takes over as the protagonist in the first person.  Working under the premise that you are researching for a “new pirate based video game” for Abstergo, you are recruited by insiders in the company to try to discover what the company’s real aims are.

    In full, Assassin’s Creed IV is a thoroughly enjoyable game for any fans of the series. Although maybe not matching the excitement of the previous instalment in the series, IV is a worthy purchase.

    Score: 8.5/10